The First Step Toward Unity
by jikanet-tanaka
Summary: The first step toward unity is learning to walk in another's shoes…easier said than done when the other in question doesn't even wear any.(Or Hup has a surprising nighttime conversation with a certain inhabitant of the Circle of the Suns.)


It had been a week since Deet and Rian had gone to find the Dual Glaive, leaving a recovering Hup behind.

At least he had mostly healed from his wounds. The Wanderer and his Skeksis counterpart had fussed heavily over him at first, giving him a foul-smelling ointment to rub over his bruises. It worked wonderfully, yes, but now even his clothes stank of the damned thing! And the less that was said of the strange concoction they kept feeding him, the better it was. It was true that Hup's head had stopped feeling like it was about to split open, but did they really have to make him drink something that had the colour and consistence of fizzgig barf?

Hup was glad that they now devoted all of their attention to their other patient (or rather, urGoh did; his other half was comically inept when it came to the medical arts). The Archer had not woken since he had driven the Hunter away, nearly dying in the process. Hup was getting surer by the day that the keen-eyed Mystic would never live to see the light of the Three Brothers again.

Sighing, Hup turned on his cot to glance at him. Only the slow rise and fall of his chest showed that he was still among the living. Not far away, urGoh and the Skeksis were also slumbering. The Wanderer and his other half always fell asleep at the same time, curled up against one another to share their warmth.

Hup envied them, to be honest. Desert nights were dreadfully cold, and he only had a single blanket to keep himself warm. As a child, he had rarely slept without being surrounded by all of his younger siblings. Back then, he couldn't wait to finally get away from their petty squabbling—how they always whined that his feet were cold, how they kept fighting over blankets, how they teased Hup for his snoring (which was totally unwarranted, in his honest opinion, as both of their parents snored far louder!)

Still, now that he was half a world away from them…

Hup sighed, shivering under his lonely blanket. This night was going to be long, too.

At least the Wanderer and the Skeksis had remained silent so far. The first night he had spent here, Hup had been woken by a series of strange noises. A deep, mournful voice had been whispering something over and over again, making the hair on his arms stand on end. Heart pounding madly, Hup had turned toward the Wanderer and his Skeksis counterpart, only to find that the sounds were coming from their end of the hut. Both of their mouths were moving—yet, it seemed they were still both deeply asleep. After a while, they had stopped, and only the synchronized sound of their breathing had then filled the air. The following morning, Hup had gathered all his courage to ask the Wanderer about this strange phenomenon. urGoh's brow had wrinkled even more than usual, and he had told Hup he had no idea what he was talking about. His Skeksis half, on the other hand, had only looked at Hup like he was crazy—which was _rich_, coming from him!

Hup didn't understand why Deet and the others liked him so much. Heretic or not, he was still a Skeksis, and every Podling worth their salt knew that the Skeksis were bad news. Elders and drunkards told legends of a clan of Podlings who had left for the Castle to work as servants many generations ago, only to never return. As such, mothers whispered to their children to behave themselves, or else the Lords of the Crystal would come to steal them from their beds at night. Back then, Hup had considered it foolish superstition, but now, considering the Skeksis Heretic' annoying tendency to forget his name and refer to him as 'friend-slave'—well, that quirky old wives' tale had been left with disturbing implications, to say the least.

But, of course, would have the oh-so-superior Gelfling listened to the warnings of 'lesser' creatures like Podlings? Hup scoffed at the thought. If not for the bravery of Deet and her friends, the Gelfling would probably still be none the wiser as to the true nature of their so-called Lords.

Hup groaned, turning again on his cot to find a better sleeping position. Once more, he found himself looking toward urGoh and that strange companion of his. The Skeksis was lying on his belly, head and arms resting on the Wanderer's back.

His eyes were wide open, and he was staring at Hup without blinking.

Hup yelped, tumbling down from his cot—which, considering it was not made for a Podling, was quite far from the ground. He bit down a scream of pain, fighting a sudden bout of dizziness. Someone was making his way toward him; Hup could hear the scratching of taloned feet growing closer. Hup swallowed deep to keep his fear at bay as the Skeksis crouched to peer at him.

"You fell down," urGoh's counterpart said, sounding almost puzzled. "Why?"

Hup wheezed. The Skeksis' face was very close, and his beaked snout was slightly open, showing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Each of the talons on his hands were as long as one of Hup's fingers. From this distance, he could smell the creature's breath—one typical of a meat eater. Hup's instincts went on high alert; the Skeksis' efforts to mask his real nature under an amiable and kooky personality were admirable, yes, but up this close there was no hiding what he truly was.

A _predator_.

"Was surprised," Hup managed. "Didn't expect Skeksis to be _osvijestiti_. Awake."

The Skeksis let out a cackle. "Oh, so I scared you! Not used to having something like me around, are you?"

"Y-Yeah." Hup managed to summon a shred of bravery to ask, "W-Why… no _spavati?_" He scrambled his brains to remember the correct word in the common tongue. "No sleep? B-Bad dreams?"

"Skeksis can't dream," the Skeksis replied, tilting his head. He held out a clawed hand to help Hup to his feet. The Podling hesitated for a moment, before taking it. He tried not to squirm as the Skeksis easily lifted him up with one hand. The Hunter had been similarly strong, Hup remembered, heart skipping a beat.

That was what they were fighting against, Hup thought with some trepidation. Creatures that were thrice bigger than even the tallest Gelfling, with fangs and claws that could rip prey apart. How could they ever hope to _win _against those things?

"Can't dream?" Hup said, trying to keep himself from trembling as he climbed back to his cot. "How can be?"

"Who knows?" the Skeksis answered. With ponderous movements, he sat down as well, pulling a cushion to put under himself. It was a bit absurd to see him there, with his knees propped up and his head bobbing to Hup's eye level; it reminded Hup of the way Podling children sat in a circle around an elder, awaiting a story. "We're not complete beings. Not to mention, we are not of Thra. We're outsiders, interlopers… _scavengers_."

He grimaced—or at least, that's how it appeared to Hup. It was hard to tell with a face that was already so _nightmarish_.

"That's why it's crucial that we reform and get back home. We cannot stay here."

Hup shifted in his seat. "Home…" he said, feeling a distant pang. "I miss home." His face heated up at the candidness of this admission.

"So do I," the Skeksis said. "I can't even remember what it was like. I can't even remember what I'm supposed to _be _like. None of us can."

"Oh…" said Hup. He wondered what it felt like, longing for a home you had never seen. It was strange to feel sympathy for a Skeksis, of all creatures. They were the reason the world was stuck in such a sorry state, after all.

Hup glanced at the still sleeping urGoh. "What about Wanderer?"

The Skeksis shrugged. "Same as me. No dreams."

"He asleep?" Hup continued, dropping his voice to a murmur.

"Oh, no. He can only sleep when I'm asleep too. He's just '_meditating'_. I call it being lazy."

"You really two parts of _celina_, of one whole," said Hup.

"What? You thought we lied about that?" There was a few seconds of silence, then the Skeksis sighed. "Mystics got the better end of the deal, you know. Us Skeksis, well…"

Hup was seized with a sudden anger. "Is supposed to excuse what Skeksis did to Thra? Because Skeksis born with _mrak_—with darkness—in hearts?"

"Not excuse," the Skeksis said, scratching at his beak with one talon. "_Explain_. Can you imagine what it feels like, to be born with a hole in your soul? To be aware every second of your life that you're broken, in a way that doesn't allow you to ever be repaired?"

Hup only stared mutely at the Skeksis, before shaking his head.

"We Skeksis are forever chasing after something that cannot be reached," urGoh's counterpart continued, "and the only way to cope with that reality is to indulge in vices that offer fleeting gratification at the most. In that regard, I'm not so different from skekMal—or the Hunter, as you know him."

Hup hugged his knees at the mention of the skull-wearing killer. He felt very cold, all of a sudden. Still, he continued to listen, strangely enraptured by the Skeksis' rambling.

"We chose to thread the same path, he and I. We both sought to fill that emptiness with _violence_. Crushing lower lifeforms…" The Skeksis made a fist with one hand, as if to illustrate his point, and Hup found himself shuddering. "Well, it certainly sounded like a good idea, back then."

Hup backed away. He wasn't good enough with the common language to understand all of the words the Skeksis was using, but the underlying message as clear as crystal. "Lower lifeforms? Like Gelfling? Like _Podling?_"

"Why, yes! Podling, Arathim, Makraks, Gruenaks…" The Skeksis ticked off each of the races on the fingers of his hand. "All brought to heel, all brought under Skeksis power. It was my job, and I was very good at it!"

Hup trembled with barely contained rage. "You… _monster!_"

The Skeksis blinked guilelessly. "Eh? No, _no_, I know better now! All these atrocities never brought me any peace. They only served to throw the world further off balance. See? I learned! I can't change my nature, but at least I can be taught! I can still help the children of Thra free themselves from my brethren. It's the only way I can make up for the blood I've shed as the Conqueror."

"By helping kill other Skeksis?" Hup said, not entirely convinced.

"What?" the Skeksis sputtered. "_No!_ I don't want them _dead! _They're my people! I've lived with them longer than I lived as the Heretic. They're… they're the only beings in the whole of Thra who can fully understand what it means, being stuck in this rotten sack of meat!"

Hup was surprised that the idea sent him into such a panic. Hadn't the other Skeksis banished him? "But," he mumbled, "why make Dual Glaive, then…?"

"skekEkt taught me how to sew, and skekOk wrote down all of my stories," the Heretic said, completely ignoring Hup's question. "There was skekSa, who had the best tales to share over a pint, and skekAyuk, who always made sure to make my favourite dishes whenever I came back from a campaign. skekVar and skekUng fought alongside me in every battle, and skekTek treated all my wounds. And skekSil…" The Heretic clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"What about he?" Hup found himself saying. It was strange to hear such wistfulness in the voice of a Skeksis. Did he truly miss the rest of his people, awful as they were? The notion was _ludicrous_.

And yet… Hup thought of his family, how much they had laughed at his desire to use his spoon for fighting instead of cooking, how much of a nuisance they could be with their pranks and dubious jests… and how much he loved them, how much he wanted to _survive_ and see them again. He looked back at the Heretic's distraught expression, and the realization dawned on him. Oh. Could it be truly that simple?

"Well, that one can rot for all I care!" the Heretic finished, darkly. "Same with the Emperor. _Same with all the others_." His hand went to the strange nail protruding from his forehead, and he tugged at it furiously. Hup yelped as he saw rivulets of dark blood staining the Heretic's head wrap. "I hate them, _I hate them_, they called me friend before calling me _traitor_, they did that to me, to _us_, they tore the clothes off my back and laughed while I bled at their feet, they laughed because they knew urGoh was suffering too, and yet, _and yet_…"

"…skek… Gra…" a low, soft voice interrupted him. "Don't… touch it… you'll only hurt… yourself…" With slow movements, urGoh laid long fingers over his other half's trembling hand.

The Heretic—_skekGra_—stopped shaking immediately. "Oh. And I'd hurt you too, right?"

"…yes…. but that's…. not important…"

"What?! You really need to work on your sense of self-preservation, you know!"

"…do you… need help… to calm down…?"

"You have a working pair of eyes, you can see that I'm fine!" skekGra frantically inspected urGoh's head. "What about you?! Are you bleeding, are you—"

"…_relax_… let me… clean the wound… and make some… tea to calm your nerves…"

"_I'll relax when you'll tell me you're fine, you idiot!_"

Hup looked away, feeling like he was intruding on something rather private. Deet had always smiled whenever she had seen them bicker. "They remind me of my fathers, just a bit," she had told Hup, wistfully. "They must care about each other a lot." Hup was struck by a sudden and deep sense of longing. Where was she, now? Was she alright? He hated that he did not know the answer…

For a while, Hup waited as the Wanderer took care of his counterpart. Fortunately enough, the wound had bled very little. skekGra sat patiently as urGoh dabbled at his head with a clean cloth. The Heretic seemed to enjoy the attention, like he was a bird being preened by one of his colony mates. It took Hup some time to realize that the strange little whines he was making were actually noises of appreciation.

"…what about you… young… Podling?" urGoh said, taking Hup out of his reverie. He hadn't even noticed they had stopped fussing over each other.

skekGra was looking at Hup as well. "Can't say I know a lot about Podling physiology, but you do look a wee bit pale. You're sure you're alright? Ate something that didn't agree with your stomach, maybe? _urGoh,_ _don't tell me we gave the kid food poisoning—_"

To Hup's great shame, water filled his eyes. "Hup… Hup is… _no,_ not fine. Can't sleep. Can't stop worrying. About Deet, about… _everything_…"

urGoh gave a deep, beleaguered sigh. "…such a heavy burden… to bear… for such small shoulders…"

Hup turned his face away as the tears began to fall from his eyes. "Hup _weak!_ Couldn't do anything when Hunter…"

The memories of that terrible moment filled his mind. He could still remember everyone's screams when the Hunter had dropped from the ceiling, he could still see those piercing eyes, filled with contempt and sadistic glee, he could still hear the throaty, dry chuckle the Skeksis tracker had given before he had flung Hup across the room—

"_Beskorisno_, useless, _useless!_" Hup cried, angrily wiping the tears from his eyes. "Vision saw Gelfling healing the world, not _glupi_ Podling with spoon!"

The Heretic and the Wanderer exchanged a long look.

"We saw _unity_," said skekGra. "The people of this poor world, banding together against those who would harm it. You are a child of Thra as well, or have you forgotten?"

"… and every child of Thra," said urGoh, "… has a part to play… in the Song that binds… all of you together…"

Hup sniffed. "Wanderer is sure? N-Not just saying that?"

"Does that face look devious enough to lie?" the Heretic said, almost affectionately. "I had to teach him how, you know! Before that, he couldn't tell a fib to save his life! The other Mystics hate me for it, said I corrupted him! Hah!"

The Wanderer rolled his eyes—_very_ slowly, Hup noticed. skekGra snickered in response, and Hup found himself smiling in spite of his tears.

"So," he began, "defeating Skeksis allow Wanderer and Heretic to join again. But can help other Skeksis and Mystics too? Make them whole again? Heal your people, your _obitelj?_ Your family?"

Both skekGra and urGoh turned to him, looking surprised. "…that is… our hope, yes…" said the Wanderer.

"Indeed. The salvation of both Skeksis and Mystics lies with the restoration of the Crystal," added skekGra. "Or so we think, anyway. Details are a bit fuzzy on that part. Must be a side effect of ingesting all those hallucinogenic berries."

Hup jumped out of his cot, putting a hand over his heart. "If you help people of Thra, then Hup will help you too! Help you be whole, help you get home!"

skekGra patted Hup's head with a clawed hand, almost in a paternal manner. It felt strange… and not exactly _pleasant_. Those talons were awfully long… "Well, then, we accept your solemn oath, Podling friend-slave!"

Hup threw him a murderous glare, cursing at him in the Podling language, while urGoh only sighed.

skekGra cackled again. "That was a joke! I told you I was the funny Skeksis, remember?"


End file.
